The Devi riverside residents of Jagatsinghpur and inhabitants of islands in the river under undivided Cuttack district have been reeling under water crisis for years.
Recently, they have petitioned before Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking construction of one small barrage and three check-dams in different locations across the Devi river and its tributary Kandal to sort out the problem of water deficiency.
The proposal has received massive public support. The locals demand conservation of water during monsoon to meet requirement during other seasons which can be done by arresting surplus water which runs off to sea during rainy season. There is a proposal for a small barrage at Devidola and check-dams at Patenigaon, Karanja and Bilasuni village adjacent to Kandal river Cuttack district.
The residents plead that the check dams will provide drinking water facilities in the villages on the two sides of the river after monsoon period and provide irrigation to crops during late Kharif and Rabi seasons where no irrigation facility is available. Besides, they would help recharge ground water. Moreover, the proposed check-dams will store or divert surplus water flowing to the sea at the end of monsoon when major river Mahanadi is drying up after the Chhatisgarh Government has constructed several barrages on the upstream.
According to convener of the movement Saroj Nayak, the Devi river has spread about 20 km from Ghadimula to Devidola, while three of its tributaries have converged at Devidola.
Then proceeding to sea near Astaranga, it passes through Kakatpur block in Puri district. “Our aim is to preserve water in all the seasons as these rivers go dry for about 10 months after rainy season,” said Nayak.
The villages as Patenigaon, Patasara, Alipingala, Gajarajpur, Galadhari under Jagatsinghpur district and Pahanga, Pokharigaon, Bilasuni, Raniola, Kasarda, Erancha, Sagadiola, Ekbaruain and Sithal villages in Cuttack district are facing water scarcity during non-monsoon period. Furthermore, massive extraction of groundwater by digging of tube-wells and bore-wells by the Rural Water Supply Department and locals has led to shrinking of water layers of the regions. Earlier, water used to be available after digging 100 feet but, now, one has to dig 150 feet -200 feet to get water, informed former Aliingala Sarpanch Panchayat Saraswati Pala. He also supported the check dam projects in river Devi. The check-dams construction and water storage schemes are low cos structures, which will be primarily used for the purpose of irrigation through lift irrigation, recharging of ground water and providing drinking water facility to nearby villages. The Government has launched a scheme to construct check dams, in stream storage structures in small rivers which is operational since year 2010, informed Executive Engineer, Jagatsinghpur irrigation division, Umakanta Mohanty.